Q: Hi Mamata, a while back, you were on a one-way path to becoming a doctor (your family is full of medical professionals), but that didn't happen. It was a canceled plan.
Yeah, that's been my biggest canceled plan, because for so long that was the one-way trajectory I was on. Everyone thought I was going to be a doctor. I thought I was going to be a doctor, even though I didn't want to be one. Halfway through college, I wasn't doing well in pre-med classes, and it was not because I didn't have the interest or the intelligence to do well. My own mental health issues plus not being naturally good at those subjects was a combination for disaster.
I'm grateful to my mom, who saw me struggling and saw that it wasn't what I wanted to do. She said, "Okay, maybe you should try something different." There were a lot of disappointed people, including me, as it was who I thought I was supposed to be for a long time. That vision was molded by so many people, and it was all I knew as my identity. I still struggle, because it derailed everything.
Q: That couldn't have been easy. How did you navigate that decision? You said you were struggling with mental health back then.
As a child raised in the U.S. with immigrant parents, there is a part of me that is built to become my parents' dreams. That is not at all a knock against immigrant parents in the U.S. with dreams, but it's a lot of pressure on them and their kids. We're finally getting to a place where society has language for it. Back then, I was so compliant, and even the idea of stepping out of that shell was terrifying, because it had been an unsafe comfort zone for so long.
Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av Heartfulness eMagazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av Heartfulness eMagazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A Flower from THE HEAVENS
November 14 is Children's Day. This year, SARA BUBBER brings to you a world of forests, magical flowers, festivals, and some animals you may have never seen.
Meeting Phenomenal Women
The author, CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI, is interviewed here by TARA KHANDELWAL and MICHELLE D'COSTA about her books on mythology, like The Palace of Illusions, which is a retelling of the Mahabharata from Draupadi's point of view, and The Forest of Enchantments, which is a retelling of the Ramayana, from the eyes of Sita. And there's The Last Queen, which is about Rani Jindan's life.
HERBAL TOOTH POWDERS: Rediscovering Ayurveda's Natural Secrets
SRAVAN BANDA presents a natural herbal tooth powder, offering a holistic approach to oral hygiene, harnessing the power of medicinal herbs.
The Dance of Light and Shadow Lessons from the Dolomites
ALAIN DESVIGNE explores the Dolomites, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009.
FINDING OUR WAY
A Polynesian Explorer's Journey of Discovery
The First Imprint: Understanding PTSD
CHRISTIANNA DEICHMANN is the Director of Education at the Association for Pre and Perinatal Psychology and Health (APPPAH), where she educates both professionals and parents on fostering the most nurturing environments for welcoming new life into the world.
The Tipping Point
In this final conversation of the series, J. FREDERICK ARMENT continues to talk with CHRISTINE JONES about promoting peace in the world.
UNLOCK YOUR POTENTIAL
Take The Brighter Minds Path To Cognitive Development
The Intrinsic Goodness of the Heart
DAAJI shares some thoughts on heartfelt acceptance and all it has to offer. He says, \"It is the heart's intrinsic goodness that allows us to accept everything as part of us.
How Does Fear Affect Our Roles as Mothers? - Neelam Shivhare explores some of the great ancient texts of India on motherhood, compares the behavior of Kaikayi and Yashoda
Neelam Shivhare explores some of the great ancient texts of India on motherhood, compares the behavior of Kaikayi and Yashoda, and realizes the importance of removing fear from our hearts in order to nurture our children.For young women like myself, who are future mothers, I trust we are on the path of becoming selfaware and brutally honest with ourselves. We are creative beings, never forgetting the gifts with which we have been bestowed— the love and tenderness, natural instincts, and intuition to feel the right path. It all lies in the mysterious meanderings of the heart. Are we really listening to our hearts, or confusing the bombarding information on social media with reality?
